Understanding Antibiotic Use in Farming

Debate About How and Whether to use Antibiotics in Livestock

A leading expert on the proper use of antibiotics in farm animals led National Press Foundation fellows though an overview of the contentious issue, describing current farm practices as well as government plans to regulate them.

The issue is important because, as the presidential advisory council says, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria “represents a serious threat to public health and the economy.” And the use of those drugs in farm animals can contribute to that problem.

Apley reviewed the general terminology, including the use of antibiotics for helping livestock grow more rapidly. That’s the use that is most contentious, and that won’t be allowed after Jan. 1, 2017.

He reviewed the other categories that will still be allowed, with a veterinarian prescription, including the use of antibiotics for the prevention of disease, for the control of disease and for treatment of disease. And he detailed the use, drug by drug, of antibiotics in humans and animals, and how that has changed over time.